Folding structure



April 12, 1932. w c BAXTER 1,854,096

FOLDI NG STRUC TURE Filed March 15, 1930 Z66 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 12, 1932 UNITED STATES PATNT Fro WILLIAM C. IBAXTER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO TRIMBLE NURSERY- LANID FURNITURE, INC, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK FOLDING STRUCTURE Application filed March 13, 1930. Serial No. 435,594.

The present invention relates to folding structures of the type in which two frame members are hinged together to occupy open positions or folded positions. An object of this invention is to so hold the frames in L folded positions that the structure may be held with both hands while the holding means is released by the foot and upon such release the frame will automatically move to open positions.

To this and other ends, the invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts, all of which will be hereinafter described: the novel features being pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front View of a folding structure embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same structure;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in vertical section; and

Fig. 4; is a perspective view of the holding means detached.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, it is shown in a folding bath tub for small children, and as shown comprises two longitudinal frames each of which includes two uprights 1 connected by a top longitudinally extending cross bar 2 at their upper ends and a lower longitudinally extending cross bar 3 spaced from their lower ends. One upright of each frame is pivoted to an upright of the other frame at 4, the pivots being alined and situated between the two cross bars.

The upper cross bars are connected by a flexible material which in this instance, is a flexible tub or receptacle 5 so that the material will collapse and expand with the closing and opening of the structure.

With the end in view of holding the structure in a folded condition, a holding means is provided which will automatically lock the two frames together and at the same time may be readily reached by the foot for operation while both hands may be employed for sustaining the structure in a folded upright position so that when released the structure will open automatically under its own weight.

This result is secured, in this instance, by

providing on one of the lower cross bars3 a downwardly depressible member in the form of a transversely extending latch or arm 7 comprising, in this instance,- a single piece of spring steel bent at one end to provide an abutment 6 for engagement with the outer vertical face of the cross bar. When the structure is in folded position, the transversely extending latch member or arm 7 extends from this abutment under the cross bar and beyond the inner side of the latter; toward, to, and in holding engagement with the other cross bar, as is hereinafter more fully explained, and which occupies a position under such other cross bar and the free end of arm 7 projects beyond the outer face of such other cross bar for engagement by the foot. This holding means may be secured to the cross bar by two screws 8 and 9 one passing through the abutment 6 and the other through the arm, and being ofiset on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the arm so as not to interfere with each other when passed into the cross bar. The arm or transversely extending latch member 7 may have a slight downward deflection at its end as at 10 and between the downwardly deflected portion and the cross bar to which it is secured, the arm may have an opening 11. On opposite sides of this opening two longitudinally extending ribs 12 are pressed upwardly from the metal in order to reduce the amount of friction between the other cross bar 3. Said other cross bar 3 has a pin or projection 13 depending from the under side thereof and this projection on the folding of the structure will ride on the deflected end of the depressible arm and automatically enter the opening 11. The ribs 12 serve to guide the pin to the opening.

To open the structure one of the frames of the latter is held by both hands in an upright position and is supported solely on one of the frames. The foot is now pressed downwardly on the downwardly depressible free end of the transversely extending latch or arm 7 and the weight of the structure will cause it to open automatically as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

From the foregoing it will be seen that 100 there has been provided in a foldable structure embodying two pivotally connected frames, a holding means which operates antomatically to hold the structures together but which is so positioned and constructed that it may be operated by a foot while the two hands hold the structure in an upright position in order that the structure may open automatically in an upright position.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is In a folding structure the combination with two longitudinally extending frames each including two uprights, and two parallel longitudinally extending cross bars, one connecting the upper ends and the other connecting the lower ends of the uprights in spaced relation, of a pivotal connection between the uprights of the two frames, which pivotal connection is situated between the upper and lower cross bars of the latter, a

collapsible connection between the upper cross bars of the two frames, and a holding device secured to, carried by and having a transversely extending latch member projecting from the lower cross bar of one frame to, under, in holding engagement with and beyond the lower cross bar of the other frame when the structure is folded, the holding device being arranged so that the projecting end of the transversely extending latch member thereof may be depressed to effect disengagement thereof from the last mentioned cross bar.

WVILLIAM C. BAXTER. 

